Just Once
by citigirl13
Summary: Just once Damon will admit his feelings towards his brother.  DISCLAIMER:  I own nothing!


**Okay, so this is just a short one-shot. I think I'm suffering from writer's block, so hopefully this will get me back into it. I've kinda wanted to write a Damon/Stefan fic for a while now, and I think this has fed my craving.**

**Anyway, I hope you like it!**

**xXx**

**Just Once**

"You can't be serious Damon!" Elena paces up and down the halls of the school. It's so different from when she walks down them during the day, when the school is alight with laughter and the sound of a hundred feet moving all at once.

But then, they weren't here for an ordinary reason.

"I am _not _going to just sit at home and wait for you to rescue him," Elena continues. She glowers at the dark Salvatore leaning against the lockers. Alaric has gone to get his – in want of a better word – vampire-slayer equipment before coming back. The plan is that they drop Elena off at home before going to save Stefan. "You're only two men, you can't take on a house full of vampires-"

"Two men?" Damon's face is indifferent, though he rolls his eyes. "Haven't you forgotten that I'm a vampire and your history teacher has a magic ring that brings him back to life?"

Elena speaks as if she hasn't heard him. "You need me. I may not be as strong as you two, but this isn't 1864 anymore. I may be a woman, but I can help-"

He snorts. "You think that because you've hung around vampires for a few months you can handle yourself around twenty of them?" He stands straight, looking at her head on. "They'll be _attacking _you Elena. Me and the Teach can't watch you all the time."

Furious with the facts, she whirls round, her dark hair practically floating over her body. "Why are you even doing this?" she hisses.

"Excuse me?" Damon's face is still smooth. Like the waves of the ocean, so predictable, almost unnoticeable.

"You don't care about Stefan," Elena snaps. "How many times have you tried to hurt him? You've caused him nothing but trouble since you came into town! Why don't you just let those vampires finish what you've already slowly started? Why not put him out of his misery?"

In happens in a split second: before Elena can draw breath she is pinned against the lockers. Oddly it reminds her of making out with Matt, bodies so intimate and close that they could be one. This is not an act of love though; Damon's eyes, clear as water, are bubbling, and that's when Elena thinks that there might be a fire underneath them, ready to boil.

"Now you listen to me," Damon says. His words come out like the hiss of viper, soft yet deadly. "I am only going to say this once, so you better pay attention." His hands tighten round her shoulders, nails digging in. "Stefan is my little brother. He drives me crazy all the time with his saint act, how he always seems to do the right thing. Rest assured I hate him." His eyes were suddenly right on her, and Elena had the sudden notion that he could see right into her soul. "You have a brother. You should know that even when you hate him, you still love him.

"I love Stefan. He annoys the hell out of me, but I still love him. And if someone is hurting him, I will make sure that they are deep in the ground." He stands back, releasing her. "Remember that."

It's only when he backs away that Elena realises that she's been holding her breath. She gathers it in her, as if it's a security blanket. She still feels a little anxious over Damon. His back is towards her, so she can't see his face, but she knows he's angry.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. She knows he can hear her. "I was wrong." She is humbled by him – a first.

When he speaks again, she knows he's forgiven her. "You can stay in the car."

**xXx**

After that Elena can't think Damon is a monster. Not really. What he said that night, it's true. Elena sees the proof – it's right in front of her eyes.

She watches as Damon helps Stefan with his addiction. She hears Damon tell his little brother that he shouldn't take responsibility for his older brother's kills. The proof is there, every day that goes by and Damon still can't kill Stefan, despite everything that's happened between them; despite his declarations that he wants rid of him.

Damon says he loves his brother more than once; he says it every little action he does. You just have to look a little harder to see.


End file.
